1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the design of Web-based applications. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for sharing application modules between users.
2. Related Art
Today's World-Wide Web looks drastically different from when it was first created more than a decade ago. Web sites have evolved from collections of static pages into virtual communities. Popular Web pages are not only a publishing tool, but also a common platform that is driving a new wave of Internet services, such as social networking, blogs, wikis, and other communication tools.
Further fueling the Web's evolution is a new suite of technologies, including the extended markup language (XML) and Web services standards. For instance, a user can select from a library of modular applications, which are often referred to as “gadgets,” and can place the selected gadgets on his desktop, personalized homepage, or both. Gadgets typically support a specific function, such as a real-time weather report, a photo album, a live news feed, a stock ticker, a to-do list, a streaming media player, or an instant messenger.
Although the current Web development is increasingly focusing on the collaboration and sharing among users, there is presently no effective way to share a personalized gadget between two users. Such sharing can be valuable, because by re-using configuration information many users can avoid duplicating effort while configuring the gadgets.
Hence, what is needed is a method and system that facilitates sharing of gadgets among multiple users.